Pavement markings currently are applied in the form of arrows, lane dividers, parking lot striping and special designations such as handicap parking and are usually applied using paint applied directly to the pavement surface. These markings generally are required to be repainted every year or more often depending on traffic volume and weather conditions. An additional problem with painting on pavement and particularly on asphalt is that the heating and cooling effect of the black asphalt surface is uneven due to the light reflective nature of white or yellow striping. This uneven heating effect tends to cause cracking along the striped area thus permitting water to enter the crack and further degrading the asphalt surface during freezing and thawing conditions.
An alternative to painting has been the use of tape using an adhesive to adhere the striping to the pavement surface. However, taping is also not a permanent solution as the adhesive tends to degrade due to weather conditions and heat and can become detached from the pavement surface.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a need for a new pavement marking system which achieves a permanent pavement marking and eliminates a need for annual repainting of pavement markings.